Fruit-drier.



Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. T. STAMM.

FRUIT DRIBR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.28, 1913,

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mwrumm *E jV n G. T. STAMM. FRUIT DR-IER.

APPLICATION FILED 51111.28, 1913,

l Patented Nov. 11,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. T. STMM.

FRUIT DR-IER.

APPLICATION rILBD 51.11.28, 1913.

1,078,1 10. y Patented 1101111913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

En sTATEs PATENT onirica.

GEORGE T. surnam, or Umani), cii1'..1ron1\iin.v

i FRUIT-Denia.-

Specication of Letters Patent.

. Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

Application iled January 28, 1913. SerialNo. 744,766.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, GEORGE T. STAMM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ups land, in the county of San Bernardino, State of California, have linvented a new and useful Fruit-Driel', of which the following is ya specification. i

This invention relates to a machine for drying oranges or othey fruit.

Great ditculty is 'encountered vin drying navel oranges on account of water, which collects in the navel, and which is not easily removed, and one of themain objects of the present invention is to dry such oranges as quickly as others.

I provide an absorbent material to absorb moisture from the oranges, and one of the objects of the invention is tov secure a large area of contact between the orange and such absorbent material and cause a continuous rolling movement of the fruit over the absorbent material.

Another object is to subject vthe oranges in two situations to a draft of air and'to utilize the same air in both situations, thereby obtaining maximum absorption from a given amount of air.

Another object is to provide for completely turning the oranges as they are subjected to the first air blast.

Another object is to construct the machine of compact form, and to completely dry the oranges in minimum time. i

Other objects and advantages will be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the drawlngs'f: `Figure 1 1s a plan view. Fig. 2 is asection on line y azz-m2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Fig. 4: is an enlarged side elevation of a portion ofthe machine with part broken away, showing the contact of. the oranges with -the absorbent support. Fig. 5 is an end view of the upper portion of the machine. F1g. 6 is a section on line l3`1g. 3. Fig. 7v is an end elevation of thedrler.

The oranges to be dried are first delivered upon an absorbent sheet 1 formed, for example, of toweling.. The sheet 1 1s supported by rollers 2 1n such a 4manner that it sags down between the rollers 2, as clearly "shown in Fig. 4, and the fruit rests in the transverse concavities formed, which gives maximum contact of the toweling and serves t0 remove the greatest possible amount of moisture during the time the fruit is -in Contact with the sheet. The

' water.

fruit with the sheet l is not a conveyer, andv in fact travels in-a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the fruit, and acts solely as an absorbent element to move the' greater amount of Water therefrom. Right here is to be noted .a prominent difference over devices of similar character, in that the movement of the fruit is accomplished by the progression of the concavities in the sheet, acting similarly to the travel of a wave in The fruit which rests in these concave depressions is rolled along as the depression travels, so that4 the rolling motion of the .fruit over the absorbent sheet brings practically the entire surface of thc fruit in Contact with the sheet many times during the travel of the fruit over the sheet. I have found in practice that this is veryelfcctive in removing the water from the fruit,'be cause the bodily traveling motion of the rollers results in producing a continuous rolling movement ofthe orangesI upon the surface Aof the absorbent element.

ployed as a `traveling conveyer to carry the fruit along with it, the fruit does not roll upon the conveyer, 'but rests at one point thereon, so that only a very small area of the surface of the fruit has contact with the absorbent element. Even where 'bumping devices are introduced to change the posi-V tion of the fruit, a very large part of the surface of the fruit does not have any contact with the absorbent element. This is avoided in my construction. y

The rollers 2 are mounted on shafts 8,

n Where v 1n the prior art t-he absorbent element is emwhich are journaled in links 4 in chains 5,

driven by sprockets '6 and 7. The sheet 1 is caused to travel vinan opposite direction tothe direction. of the travel of the fruit as will be explained, and in order to frictionally drive the s heet at its contact with each roller, I provide on one end of each roller a sprocket 6, 4the pitch diameter of vwhich is somewhat less than the outside dii ameter ofthe roller, which meshes wit-h a stationary chain 7, the chain 7 acting as 'a rack to cause'rotation of each sprocket 6 and associated roller as the roller-is moved along bodily by the chain 5.4 Thus, it will be seen, referring to Fig. 4,4 that the rollers 2 travel in the direction of the arrow bodily and also have an axial clockwise rotation, tending to drive the' sheet 2 in a direction opposite tothe arrow, while the fruitmoyes bodily along in the direction of the arrow in the progression of the concavities of the sheet. By this means there is imparted to the fruit a continuous rolling movement of the fruit over the absorbent material.` By causing the sheet to travel in the opposite direction I bring a greater amount of its surface in contact with the fruit than if it were to remain passive or substantially stationary while the fruit traveled over it. This produces a greater speed of rotation of the fruit and consequently the fruit is rolled over and over ltwice as much as it would if the sheet were stationary.

The sprocket 6is mounted on, a' shaft 8, carrying a pulley 9, driven by a. belt 10, from a pulley 11,v on shaft 12. Shaft 12 has a pulley 13 which is driven by a crossed belt 14, from a motor 15.

In order to` remove the water which is taken up by the absorbent' sheet,.I pass the sheet through a wringer, consisting of two rollers 16, the` lower of which carries a sprocket 17 driven by a chain 18, from a sprocket- 19, on shaft 20, on which the sprocket 7 is mounted. The rollers 16 have gears 21, which cause them to revolve in unison.

To maintain the sheet 1 in proper position and prevent it from sagging, except at the transverse places intended, I provide hooks 22 which engage in the sheet near each edge thereof, the hooks being secured to cables 23, which ride in conduits 24.

After reaching the end of the sheet 1 the fruit rolls down an inclined Iboard 25, and

is delivered onto an inclined support where it is subjected to a blast of air which blows the water out of the navel or other recesses.

This inclined supporting means comprises a series'of pairs of longitudinal rods, each pair consisting of a plain rod 26 and a propelling rod 27. Each propelling rod 27 is wound with a rope 28 to form a series-of spiral projections, with occasional transversey projections 29, which extend annularly. 'I'his is produced by irst winding the rod continuously with the rope and then at intervals rearranging certain of the coils so that they stand transverse, as shown at 29, and thence securing such coils in' that po sition and spacing the other coils properly. As clearly shown in Fi'g. 6 a series of'longitudina-llslots 30 are provided in a plate 31,

each slot 30 extending parallel with and between the two rods of each pair. These slots form elongated mouths through which the air is projected against thel fruit which is traveling along down the rods. The plate 31 forms the upper wall of a box 32, in which compressed air isdelivered as will be described. |The fruity rolls down on the rods 26 and 27 by gravity, assisted by the -s iral windings of the rope, and as it travels a ong down it is rolled around so that its entire surface is ultlmately subjected to the blast of air, which removes the water. In 4 order to insure that the fruit is completely turned in all directions, I provide t'he transverse coils 29. These are so arranged that when a piece of fruit arrives at a coil 29, its movement is arrested and the fruit must travel u over the coil 29 before it can proceed. T lis interruption and enforced travel of the fruit over a coil 29 causes the fruit to positively change position. Before it reaches/the lower end of the rods, and during its travel, every portion of the surface of the fruit has been exposed several times to the blast of air,.which issues through the slots 30. The fruit then passes onto a semicircular table 33, and is conducted Vto a longitudinal drying box 34, Where it receives its final drying. The fruit is caused to travel through the box 34 solel by means of a conveyer belt 35, on which t e fruit rests, the upper run of the belt 35 resting on the bottom 36 of the box 34. The belt 35 is carried by rollers 37, one of which is idle and not seen in the drawings on account of being broken away. The other run is mounted on a shaft 38, having a pulley 39, driven by a belt 40, from a pulley 41, on a shaft 42, having a pulley 43, driven by a belt 44, from the motor 15.

A blower 45 is driven by a belt 46, from a pulley47, on shaft 42, 4and its inlet pipe 48 communicates with one side of the chamber 34 at 49,-as shown in Fig. 3, also see Fig. 7. The 'chamber 34 is open at both ends sothat a draft of air is produced in the chamber 34 from each end thereof toward. thef orifice 49, where this air asses down through inlet pipe 48, into the b ower 45. The outlet pipe 50 of the blower discharges into the chamber 32, through the orifice 51, as shown in Fig. 6, see also Fig. 3, and from the box 32 the air issues u wardly through the slots 30 and againstt e fruit on' the inclined support and thence passes ofl'. It will thus be seen that the air is utilized twice; first, in its passage through the chamber 34 where the air 1s fresh and comes in contact with the nearly dry fruit, so that the fresh air takes up some moisture in the chamber 34. Then this air, laden only slightly with moisture is driven into the chamber 32, and thence out through the slot-s 30 against the fruit on the inclined conveyer Where this air. blows the water from the oranges on the inclined sup ort. The fruit in movingV over the absor ent sheet is given a ,rolling movement transversely of the sheet by rocking the sheet and adjacent part-s as mdicated in Fig. 7. This is accomplished as follows: Shafts 8 and 20 are mounted in a frame 52,A which is pivoted at each end at 53, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, see also Fig. 7, and cranks 54 are secured to the ends of shafts 8 and 20,'

the cranks 54A beingA connected by universal joint 55, with pitmen 56, which are pivoted at stationary points 57. Thus, as, the shafts 8 and 2O rotate the cranks-A54 rota-te and are caused by the pitmen 56 to alternately raise and lower shafts 8 and 20, thereby imparting a trans-verse rocking motion` tire surface of the sheet is utilized in re` moving the water from the fruit.

What Iclaim is:

l. In a fruit drier, an absorbent' element, and means for imparting a continuous rolling movement of the fruit over said absorbent element.

2L In afruit drier, an absorbent' element, means for imparting a continuous rolling movement to the fruit longitudinally of thev said absorbent element, and means for causing the fruit to roll laterally on the absorbcnt element.

8. In a fruit drier, an abosrbent element, means for imparting a continuous rolling movement of the' fruit over the absorbe-nt element, and meansfor rocking the absorbent elementtransversely to cause a. transverse rolling movelnent of the fruit.

4f. In a fruit drier, an absorbent element, means for supporting saidr element at different points to cause the absorbent element lo sag between such points4 and form transverse depressions adapted to receive fruit, and means for moving said supporting means along the absorbent element to cause a progression of the saidv depressions in the absorbent element and cause the fruitwhich' lies in said depressions to roll along on the absorbent element in the traveling depressions there-in.

5. In a-fruit drier, an absorbent lsheet, a series of rollers under the sheet supporting the same, with'depressions between the rollers, said depressions adapted to receive the fruit,l and means for moving `said rollers along said sheet to cause a progression of the depressions and thereby roll the fruit along the sheet.

6. In a fruit drier, an absorbent sheet, a series of rollers under the sheet supporting the same, with depressions between the rollers, said depressions adapted to receive the fruit, means for moving said rollers along said sheet to cause a progression yof the depressions and thereby roll the .fruit along-the sleet, and means for moving' sald 'sheet in/a direction opposite to the movement lof the rollers to increase the rotative motion of the fruit.

7. In afruit drier,an'absorbent sheet, a series of rollers under the sheet supporting the same, with depressionsbetween the rollers, saidy depressions adapted to `receive the lfruit, mean-s for moving said rollers along said sheet to cause a progression of thc depressions and thereby roll the fruit along the sheet, and means for rocking said rollers and sheet transversely to cause the fruit to roll laterally in said depressions in additionio the longitudinal rolling movement .of the fruit.'

8^. In afruit drier, an absorbentelement, means for impart-ing a continuous rolling movement of the fruit over the absorbent element, an inclined element comprising a` pair of rodsadapted to support fruit' delivered from the absorbent element, means for projecting aA blast of air between said rods to remove the water from the fruit, and means for rotating said rods to roll the fruit thereon as it travels downthe rods.

9.In a fruit drier, an absorbent element,

means4 for imparting a continuous rolling.

movementV of the fruit over .the absorbent element, an incline-d lelementcomprising a pair of rods adapted tosupport fruit delivered from the absorbent element, means for projecting'a blast of air between said rods to remove the water from the fruit, means for rotating said rods to roll thefruit thereon as it travels down the rods, and a rope wound spirally on rone of said rods and arranged with transverse coils at intervals to cause a progression of the fruit and periodical change of position of the fruit. v

10. In a fruit drier, `means for removing considerable Water from the fruit, an inclined supporting element arranged to receive fruit from t-he first means, said inclined element comprising a series of pairs of rods, the rods of each bar comprising a plain rod and a rod with a rope wound spirallythereon` said rope being arranged Witlr .transverse coils at intervals, a box below said rods, a top for the box, the top being Jformed with a plurality of mouths arranged longitudinally in the center between the respective rods, and means for forcing air into said box to cause the lsame to be projectedthrough said mouths .against the fruit on said rods.

11. vA fruit drier, comprising means `for removing considerable moisture 'from the fruit. means receiving fruit `from the first means -for projecting a blast of air againstthe fruit to remove additional moisture, a box for` receiving fruit from the second means, means for maintaining a current of air through' said box to remove the remainmoisture from the fruit vwithin said box, gud means for moving the fruit through said 12. A- fruit drier, comprising means for removing considerable moisture from the fruit, means receiving fruit from the first meansfor proecting a4 blast of air against the fruit to remove additional'moisture, a

y box forl receiving fruit from4 ythe second means, means for maintaining a current of air through said box'to remove the remaininglmoisture from the fruit within said box, means for moving the fruit through said box, and means for conducting the said moving air in said box' to the second mea-ns to supply the air blast for the second means.

13. In a fruit drier, a sheet of absorbent material, a plurality of rollers supporting said sheet to form lateral depressions therein, means for moving said rollers bodily to cause a progression f said depressions and consequent rolling movement of the fruit in said depressions, and means for wringingthe moisture from said absorbent sheet.

14. In a fruit drier, an absorbent sheet, a plurality of rollers supporting said sheet with sagging portions between the rollers adapted to receive fruit, meansfor moving said roll-- ersbodily to cause `a -progressionof the depressionsand consequent rolling movement of the fruit over the sheet, and means engaging in the edges of the sheet for holding the same from stretching transversely.

` 15. Ina fruit drier, a sheet of absorbent material, a plurality of rollers supporting said sheet to form lateral depressions theremy hand at .Los Angeles, California this` 15th day of January 1913.

GEORGE T. STAMM.

In presence of- GEORGE T. HACKLEY, MARTHA M. LANGE. 

